Three Blind Dates
by Laboon's Wrath
Summary: Mako and Korra broke up four years ago, but he still hasn't seen anyone since then. His friends try and set him up on a few blind dates to help him get back in the game, but things don't quite turn out as planned.


"You set me up on a _what_?!"

"Man, bro, you really need to clear the wax out of your ears. A _blind date_."

Mako stared at his brother, mouth agape. He wasn't entirely certain how to react to this… _development_. A blind date. Of all things, a blind date? Was Bolin serious?

Bolin wasn't good at reading people, but even he could see the disbelief plainly written on Mako's face. He held his hands up patronizingly. "Look, I know you're gonna complain," he said, "but hear me out here! It's been four years since you and Korra broke up. Don't you think it's about time you got back into the game? You can't stay hung up on Korra forever, bro."

"I am going to strangle you," Mako growled through gritted teeth.

"Just give it a shot!" Bolin said enthusiastically, wrapping his arm around Mako's shoulder and grinning. "You'll like this girl, I promise. She's an airbender. Opal met her during her lessons, and she vouches for her. I mean, come on, one little date couldn't hurt, right? It'll be _fun_!"

Mako sighed. He supposed Bolin was right. There wasn't really harm in just one date. "All right," he conceded with a roll of his eyes. "You win."

"Yes!" Bolin squealed triumphantly, pumping his fist. "Date's tonight at Narook's. Table 7. Don't let the lady down, bro!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Mako deadpanned.

/

Mako tapped his drink awkwardly. The girl, Xuan, sat expectantly in front of him, waiting for him to make conversation. She'd been waiting for five minutes.

Xuan wasn't bad-looking. Not by a long shot. She was a graceful-looking young woman of Earth Kingdom heritage, with a button nose and messy black hair. Still, Mako couldn't help but consider how much nicer she'd look if her eyes were just a little bluer, or her face a little rounder.

He couldn't think of anything to say. The entire evening, his conversational abilities had been limited to one-line responses and vague answers to questions. It wasn't as if that's what he _wanted_, he just felt… limited. Closed off.

At least the food had been good.

After seven minutes of silence, Xuan sighed and rose from her seat. "You were going to pick up the bill, right?" she asked. Mako nodded sheepishly in reply.

"Well, alright, then," Xuan said, pushing her chair in. "I'll see you around then, Mako. It's been an… interesting evening. Thanks for dinner."

She left. Mako groaned.

He banged his head on the table in frustration. What was _wrong _with him? Couldn't even get through one date without screwing things up.

"Evening not going according to plan, I take it?" a joking voice piped up. Mako turned his head to see Korra staring amusedly down at him, hand on her hip.

"Korra!" Mako exclaimed, quickly sitting back up. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you kidding?" Korra laughed. "I live and breathe Narook's, you know that!" She folded her arms across her chest. "Didn't expect to see you here, though. Especially not with a _girl_. Something you want to tell me?"

Mako scowled. "Blame Bolin," he huffed. "He set me up on a blind date and I completely flubbed it. Could hardly say a word the whole evening."

Korra chuckled and put a hand on Mako's shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself," she told him. "You're a huge dork, but you're also a really special guy. Don't feel like you have to rush things or get them perfect on the first try."

The firebender couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Korra," he said gratefully. "That means a lot, coming from you."

The Avatar cocked an Avatar grin, and slapped Mako on the back. "Good to hear it, city boy. I'll catch you later. Gotta go see Tenzin about something right now."

She waved at him as she left, and even though Mako's back hurt from her aggressive display of affection, he paid it no mind, waving back with a bright smile on his face.

/

Mako swatted a piece of lint off of his uniform. It was the day after the disastrous date at Narook's and Mako was trying to get back into the groove of police work, having finally returned to the force following his time as Wu's bodyguard.

His desk was exactly as he remembered it. He passed his hand over the finely-carved cypress wood. The desk held a lot of memories for Mako, not all of them pleasant.

"Mako!" the Chief's voice hollered from her office. "Come here a minute! I need to talk to you!"

"Coming, Chief!" Mako yelled back, and hurried into the office of Lin Beifong. The Chief was sitting at her desk, signing paperwork, as per usual. She gave him a terse smile for a greeting.

"Welcome back to the force, detective," she said. "It's been lonely without your crack theories and bogus hunches."

"Most of which turned out to be true in the end," Mako joked.

Lin held up her hand to shush him. "I figured you could use a coming-back present," she told him, clacking a stack of papers on her desk to even them out. "So I've decided to set you up on a blind date with one of the junior members of the force. I understand she's quite the admirer."

A thunderclap sounded in Mako's brain. Now the _Chief_ was getting in on the act? The look of shock on his face was obvious, and Lin raised an eyebrow.

"She's a nice girl, detective," she chastised, "and it's been years since you and the Avatar broke up. I would think you'd welcome the chance to see someone new. Especially someone who seriously never shuts up about you."

Mako sighed loudly. "When and where?" he asked, defeated.

/

Mako stormed out of Hoshi's Diner fuming. Some date _that_ had turned out to be. Lin wasn't wrong about the girl being an admirer of his - but she hadn't mentioned just how _obsessed_ she was. Question after question after invasive question about him, his life, and everything in between. Mako had barely been able to get a word in edgewise.

It had been too much. He'd finally just given up and left while she was in the bathroom. He'd had enough.

Well, whatever. It wasn't as if he'd had high hopes for the evening. He couldn't expect any woman to make him laugh or drive him crazy the way Korra used to. _That_ ship had long since sailed.

He walked along the side of the road. To his right were the calm waters of Yue Bay, contrasting sharply with the maelstrom in his mind.

"Another rough night, I take it?"

Korra was leaning against the railing overlooking the bay. Her arms were crossed and her head was tilted impishly to the side. However, her expression was one of sympathy.

"Another blind date," Mako groaned. For the moment, it didn't particularly matter to him how Korra had managed to end up in his path once again. "Why can't anyone just leave me? Maybe I just don't _want_ to date anyone. Why hasn't anyone considered _that_?"

"Uh, about that," Korra said with a bashful grin. "I… kind of set you up on a blind date tomorrow at Narook's." She chuckled embarrassedly and scratched the back of her neck.

Mako's ears turned red. "Are you serious?!" he yelled, not caring about the amount of noise he was making. "No way! No way, Korra! I'm done with blind dates. Maybe even dating in general! I've had it up to here!"

"Calm down, Mako," she chided him gently. There was a sadness in her voice and her eyes. "I worry about you sometimes, you know? I just want you to be happy, and I really think you would be able to with this girl."

Mako snorted derisively. "And just how well do you know this person?" he asked bitterly, folding his arms tightly around his chest.

"Very, very well," Korra assured him. "She's… she's had feelings for you for years, but she couldn't figure out how to tell you, or even if she should."

Mako huffed, unconvinced.

"Please, Mako?" Korra asked gently. "Just give it a try, for me. If it doesn't go well, I'll try and get everyone to back off with the blind dates, OK?"

"Fine," Mako said reluctantly. "But I'm only doing it for you. I don't make any promises to enjoy myself."

Korra smiled and ruffled Mako's hair. "Now there's the cool guy I know!" she said cheerfully. "Dinner's tomorrow at Narook's, around six. Table twelve. Don't be late!"

"Whatever," Mako grumbled. Just one more night, and he'd finally be able to put all of this madness to rest.

/

Table twelve was empty when Mako arrived. His date was late.

"Maybe she got cold feet," Mako shrugged as he sat down. "Wouldn't be surprised. After the past week, it'd be fitting for the last date to be ruined before it even began."

He picked up the menu and started reading. "If she isn't here in five minutes, I'm not sticking around," he decided coldly. "No use wasting any more of my time than I already have."

Exactly four minutes later, he heard the chair on the opposite side of the table scoot away and someone panting heavily sitting down. Mako didn't bother to look up from the menu. He didn't see the point.

"Sorry… I'm late!" his mystery date gasped. "Had farther…. to run than… I thought."

"No problem," Mako said robotically.

The girl took a deep breath, and her breathing slowed down to normal. "Hey, aren't you going to say hello?" she said in annoyed tone. Mako didn't respond. He heard the sound of fingers snapping. "Hello? Earth to Mako! Are you in there?"

Mako gnashed his teeth and snapped his head up. "What do you-" his outburst was cut short by the shock of what he saw.

Mako could hardly believe his own eyes. Sitting in front of him, chin up and with the smuggest grin he had ever seen painted on her face, was none other than Avatar Korra.

Mako sputtered unintelligibly, which only served to make Korra laugh. "H-hey there, stranger," she managed in between giggles. "Ready for the best night of your life?"

Mako was too stunned to reply, and Korra's grin only grew smugger. "Asami was right," she laughed. "This really was the most fun way possible to let you know I wanted to get back together."

Any intelligent remarks Mako could have been planning faded on the tongue as soon as she said those words. "You… you want to get back together?" he repeated softly.

Korra replied with a smirk. "We'll see," she said, her eyes narrowing with intention. "For now, let's see how dinner goes, eh, cool guy? How's that sound?"

Mako gave the most genuine smile he'd produced in a very long time.

Dinner sounded just fine to him.


End file.
